Simple Things

My mom and I spent tonight with Sammy & Ashton. It's so much fun to be with them and watch them grow. Ashton baked us pancakes with bugs, or at least started to but got distracted in taking all of "my toys" away. "You can't play with toys before dinner, Zizzie." Oh, that's right, I forgot. *sigh*

Tomorrow we're going to go over and spend some good time with Grandpa. He has, for the most part, been much more peaceful over the past few weeks. I think some of it is resignation. I think some of it is just mellowing out? I think a big part of it is that we've spent more time with him. We've been taking him out for dinner a few times a week or sitting around with him while he eats his at home. Everytime we go anywhere it's the "best he's ever had." (It's great to hear him talk like that.) I talk to him at least three times a day. The first call is usually to see if he's taken his pills for the day, the other two or three or four usually because he forgets we've already talked. But sometimes it's nice to talk, and it's nice to hear that he's happy. As of the last doctor's visit, the doctor still didn't have a firm diagnosis. The only firm thing is that he can't drive although we're hoping to make that more official through Secretary of State. He's on two pills right now. One is for his thyroid and the other Aricept, is used for Alzheimers patients. We know he has some type of dementia, but sometimes it would be nice to have a firmer diagnosis. It seems like things would have a clearer path then, but I guess there really never is a clearer path with this. The family goes through a parallel struggle with the family member--a struggle to accept the person as they are now, not before, to be patient, to care even the twentieth time a story is told, to provide the absolute best that can be given. We pray and we wait. We pray and we wait and we love.

As for other simple things, I feel a little bit stuck in transition right now. MIP is over as I wait for acceptance into CP. Summer is slow as I wait for absolutely everything coming in another few weeks. I'm trying to take it slow because I know it will come fast. This would be a good time to work on college apps and scholarships, no? Why I keep procrastinating, I'm not sure--although I think a big part of it is the promising book pile always waiting for me. Continuing to fill out job applications would be a good thing too. I'm starting to think I'll never find one. Four down...I don't know: a bajillion left to go? Family time is a must in these next few weeks though, and friend time too. Today marks the one-year date from when Midori arrived. My mom and I started working on a book before she left. I worked on it more today...and hope to get it out this week. yikes!

One last-praying my hardest for my Aunt Linda. I heard through the grapevine that she was supposed to have had surgery on her tongue yesterday for the cancer she was diagnosed with earlier this year. Having the surgery at all was a debate, but one perpetuated by the fact that her health insurance runs out in a matter of a few days (she is privately insured as she runs her own country doc practice out of her own home). She needs to be surrounded right now. I wish we weren't so far away. God bless her and keep her in his care.

To the rest,

Grace & Peace always